Training ground discipline allows winning performances
Junior Brown believes Fleetwood’s hard work on the training ground is paying off after Town came from behind in the North West derby to beat Bury on Saturday.
Fleetwood came into the game on the back of two wins against Tranmere Rovers and Torquay United and second half goals from Antoni Sarcevic and Gareth Evans saw Town come from a goal down to claim derby honours and lift themselves back up into the top three.
Tom Soares had opened the scoring midway through the first half, but whilst Town recorded their third straight victory in all competitions – a feat Fleetwood have achieved for the first time in over a year – Bury also fell to a third straight defeat.
Junior Brown played vital role in both of Fleetwood’s goals and was also named Man of the Match following the game and the winger believes Town deserved the three points.
Speaking to the Cod Army Player, Brown said: “I thought we started the game well and we were on top. It was obviously disappointing to go behind, but we worked well as a team, we worked hard and dug in.
We knew that as long as we kept playing like we have worked on then we would get chances. I thought we thoroughly deserved the win.
“We grafted hard, we created chances and it is disappointing when they don’t hit the back of the net, but the longer the games goes, we are a fit side, and we knew we would get more and more chances.
“We stuck to the game at hand and we got our just deserves in the end.”
Brown finished as the joint top goal scorer last season alongside Jon Parkin with 12 goals, but the winger has yet to get on the score sheet this season.
Brown, though, won’t get any closer than he did against Bury after hitting the post with a great free kick minutes after the interval.
“It seems to be one of those things at the minute where it doesn’t seem to be happening, but I am going to keep working hard on the training ground and keep working on the pitch and hopefully it will come.
“When it does come, it will set me up for the rest of the season like it did last year and then I can kick on and get some more goals.”
Fleetwood won only seven of their 23 home games over the course of their first season in the Football League, but Graham Alexander’s side have already picked up three wins out of four on home turf.
Brown admits Town’s home form was disappointing last season and is one of the factors they have been looking to improve for this campaign.
“We looked at it and we were disappointed with our home form. It was something we definitely needed to work on, and so far this season, we have done that.
“The little blip with Burton aside, where to be fair I thought we still deserved something out of the game, I think we have put it right and hopefully we can continue to put in performances like we have done today.
“That will stand us in good stead because your home form is vital and that’s one of the key things for promotion success.
“It’s about maintaining what we have been working on. We work hard in training and we work hard on the way we want to play and it is getting us results at the moment.
“Hopefully we can continue to keep doing that, keep working hard as a team, starting games fast and at a good tempo like we are doing and work hard for each other.
“If we keep doing that, we will keep getting results and consistency is key if you want to get promoted.”
Fleetwood will hit the road again next weekend with a trip to Fratton Park to face a team that only three years ago was playing Premier League football.
Three relegations in the past four years though means Portsmouth and Fleetwood will play each other for the first time in a league match, something that would have been unimaginable a few years ago, but Brown says Fleetwood do not fear anyone and insists Town will be looking to make it four wins in a row.
“We don’t fear anyone in this league. We just work on ourselves and work on what we are good at and we take anywhere.
“We’re good enough to go out there and get a result so I don’t see why we can’t go out there and make it four wins on the bounce.”
Portsmouth travel next Saturday is priced at £25 or £12.50 for season ticket holders. Departure time from Highbury is 7am. Book in the club shop or call 01253 777080.